Jonah and the Whale

Samuel Rothbort, Jonah and the Whale, ca. 1930s, granite, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ida Rothbort, Daughter, 1996.14
Samuel Rothbort, Jonah and the Whale, ca. 1930s, granite, 10 x 15 3⁄4 x 8 5⁄8 in. (25.4 x 40.0 x 22.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ida Rothbort, Daughter, 1996.14

Artwork Details

Title
Jonah and the Whale
Artist
Date
ca. 1930s
Location
Dimensions
10 x 15 3⁄4 x 8 5⁄8 in. (25.4 x 40.0 x 22.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Ida Rothbort, Daughter
Mediums
Mediums Description
granite
Classifications
Subjects
  • Religion — Old Testament — Jonah
  • Animal — whale
Object Number
1996.14
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1996.14

Artwork Description

Samuel Rothbort developed work in wood and stone during the 1930s. He never used commercial materials and instead salvaged pieces of driftwood, fieldstone, and even old fence posts for his carvings. Jonah and the Whale was carved from an uneven block of granite, in which the soft lines and rough texture evoke Rothbort’s belief that he “released” the image from within the stone.

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